great resource; appreciate the direction :) 

It is highly specific, my recommendation is to contact the city directly with qualifying questions or have us do it for you :) In general Astoria is also a No-Go with the exception of commercially zoned properties.

If someone asks for a direct message (they're not supposed to) for something specific you can respond to that, but those threads are usually in the classifieds when we (moderators) can catch them all. 

I will message you his contact info.

Apply for a dimensional variance on the vacant lot to allow a smaller lot and/or setback so it can be built upon.Your best first steps are to sketch a plan, possibly with an engineer's help, then contact the zoning department to discuss your idea with them to get informal feedback on your liklihood of success before you spend a lot of money.

Buyers who go directly to the listing agent will not see the same savings, if they see any savings at all.

Unfortunately looking like this specific deal likely won't pan out; seller is definitely not motivated to offload quickly/discounted based on their replies.I found a realtor through BP who I'm now working with to find a property, so progress in the right direction!

DM me, and I will send you contacts for attorneys, lenders, and accountants they have previously used.

You can easily find this online but I will message you directly with some additional info. 

If you go in that direction, I highly recommend speaking with multiple franchisees from each brand before making a final decision.